You may grow a variety of plants in window boxes, from gorgeous flowers that will decorate your windowsill all season long to herbs and veggies. See which flowers make the best window box displays if you’re stumped for ideas.
Any house or apartment would benefit from the beauty and charm that window box flowers bring. These little gardens are a great way to express your artistic side and improve the outside of your home. Window box flowers are an easy and enjoyable way to add color and life to your windowsills, regardless of your gardening experience level.
This post discusses the various plant species that do well in window boxes, the best flowers to put in window boxes, how to make a gorgeous floral arrangement, and window box flower arrangements. For further information, see the FAQs section.
Plants that grow well in window boxes include herbs, trailing plants, succulents, annuals, and perennials. Each category is explained in this section along with appropriate window box samples.
Every year
A single growing season is all that annual plants need to complete their life cycle. They usually go from seed to maturity, bloom, and seed production in a single year. Common annual plants for window boxes include celosia, impatiens, pansies, marigolds, and zinnias.
The simplest flower to grow in a window box are annuals. They may produce brilliant color all through the growing season with minimal upkeep. But you have to start them from seed every year.
Annuals
Perennial plants may withstand several growing seasons and can persist for more than two years. Usually, they emerge from a live root system that produces new growth every year, frequently becoming dormant in the winter. Perennial plants, in contrast to annual ones, develop new leaves, branches, and flowers every year and frequently get bigger and more robust over time. Perennials put in window boxes therefore require little upkeep.
Dwarf perennials, such dwarf Alberta spruce or boxwood, hostas, coral bells (Heuchera), geraniums, daylilies, and stonecrop (sedum) are a few common perennial plants for window boxes.
lagging vegetation
Plants that grow horizontally or downward, often spilling over the edge of a container or hanging basket, are known as trailing plants. They enhance a window box’s visual appeal, texture, and depth.
Trailing petunias, sweet potato vine, English ivy, creeping jenny, trailing succulents like a burro’s tail or string of pearls, creeping phlox, and creeping thyme are a few examples of trailing plants for window boxes.
Slender Plants
A class of plants known as succulents have evolved to store water in their leaves, stems, or roots in order to survive in arid or semi-arid climates. Their unusual look can be attributed to their thick, waxy, and meaty leaves. Because they can withstand droughts well, succulents make excellent candidates for window boxes that receive infrequent irrigation.
Succulents such as agave, aloe, echeveria, jade plants, and snake plants are good choices for window boxes.
Plants
Herbs are plants that are cultivated for flavor, scent, or medicinal uses. Because they can grow in containers and don’t need a lot of room, many herbs are excellent choices for window gardens. Furthermore, some herbs, like basil, naturally ward against pests like mosquitoes.
Herbs like basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, mint, chives, and cilantro are good choices for window boxes.
Busy Lizzie (Impatiens), Coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides), Pansy (Viola x wittrockiana), Petunia (Petunia x atkinsiana), Marigold (Tagetes), Cedar (Celosia), Zinnia (Zinnia elegans), Begonia (Begonia), Lavender (Lavandula), and Nasturtium (Tropaeolum) are some of the best flowers to plant in window boxes. Find out more about the hardiness zone, color variations, requirements for sun exposure and soil, bloom time, and attractor properties of each of these flowers.
1. Impedient Lizzie (busy)
Busy Lizzies are a well-liked option for window boxes because of their vivid, colorful blooms and affinity for shade. They are an excellent choice for inexperienced gardeners because they require little upkeep, grow to a height of 6 to 30 inches, and require little fertilizer or trimming. Bounce Violet, Spreading Shell Pink, and Bounce Pink Flame are just a few of the numerous impatiens cultivars.
Impatiens are well-known for their capacity to self-seed, which means that with little to no assistance from the gardener, they will frequently scatter their own seeds and return year after year. They are an excellent long-term investment for window boxes and other container gardens because of this crucial feature.
The drawback of impatiens is their vulnerability to downy mildew, a fungus that can kill the plant and turn its leaves yellow. This can be avoided by spreading out the plants in the window box to promote proper air circulation, avoiding watering from above, and getting rid of any diseased plants as soon as you can.
2. Coleus, also known as Plectranthus scutellarioides
Coleus makes a beautiful choice for window boxes because of its distinctive and colorful foliage. Coleus is grown for its leaves rather than its blossoms, in contrast to most other blooming plants. Interesting textures and patterns can frequently be found on leaves.
Coleus is a tropical plant that grows one to three feet tall and likes warm weather. Frequent fertilization and trimming help to promote bushy growth and guard against legginess. This plant may be multiplied by cuttings, making it a great long-term investment. Coleus can be used alone in a window box for a more modern and contemporary aesthetic, or combined with other flowering plants for a more classic appearance.
3. Violetta x wittrockiana Pansy
When other plants are still dormant, pansies, being among the earliest flowers to emerge in the spring, will bring color to your window boxes. These plants are excellent choices for early and late-season window boxes since they tolerate chilly temperatures and can withstand a little frost.
Pansies make excellent choices for tiny window boxes since they are generally compact plants that spread out 9–12 inches and grow 6–9 inches tall. Fun fact: pansy blossoms can be used to color and flavor salads, desserts, and other meals. They are also edible.
4. Atkinsiana, or petunia
Because they have a lengthy blooming season and produce an abundance of blossoms, petunias make excellent window box flowers because you can enjoy their vibrant colors from spring through November. Numerous petunia cultivars exist, including Limelight, Fortunia Early Blue Vein, and Cascadias Rim Magenta.
Because it can withstand both heat and drought, the petunia plant is low-maintenance and easy to maintain. It is adaptable because it is available in several shapes and sizes, ranging from trailing to compact, and may be used with a variety of window box designs. Petunias should reach heights of 6 to 18 inches and widths of 18 to 4 feet.
5. Tagetes Marigold
Marigolds are a popular choice for window boxes because of their cheerful, colorful blooms and low maintenance requirements; once established, they can withstand some drought. Removing wasted blooms from the plant by deadheading can motivate it to bloom all season long.
African and French marigolds are the two primary varieties of marigolds. French marigolds are smaller; they typically reach a height of 6 to 12 inches. African marigolds are bigger; they can reach heights of one to three feet. African marigolds are frequently used as border plants, but they also make a striking display when planted in window boxes.
6. The genus Celosia
Celosia is an eye-catching and distinctive option for window boxes. Grown as a tropical, it gets its distinctive flower spikes from a rooster comb. There are variations of the flowers with single and double blooms.
Window boxes with celosia require little pruning and deadheading, making maintenance relatively simple. Once established, the plant can withstand droughts, although it needs regular irrigation when the weather is dry. Frequent fertilization promotes flowering and healthy growth.
The extended bloom period of celosia is one of its advantages. The flowers give your window boxes a consistent source of color and interest for several weeks or even months.
7. The zinc plant (Zinnia elegans)
Zinnias add a pop of color and draw pollinators to your garden, making them perfect for window boxes. From tiny, compact plants (6–12 inches) to tall, branching types (4 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide), they are available in a variety of sizes.
Zinnias require little care, are rather easy to cultivate, and do well in arid environments. Zinnias have long stems that make them perfect for cutting, and the blooms will keep opening and looking gorgeous in a window box for a few days. Zinnias come in a multitude of types, such as Irish Eyes, Gold Braid, and Orange Sprite.
Startonia (Begonia) 8